Old Reid hospital demolition begins in Richmond: 'It's finally coming down'

RICHMOND - Demolition work is beginning today on the former Reid Hospital campus that has been Richmond's northern skyline for 45 years.

Crews have been busy on the property since December, cleaning out asbestos and doing "soft" demo work inside the buildings. Nasty winter weather made the asbestos removal difficult at times, but Leeds Tower and other campus buildings have been cleaned out.

The project, which is expected to take until July 2019 to complete, has a price tag of more than $4.33 million.

More than $7 million has been pledged toward the work, including $1.42 million from Wayne County in the form of an Economic Development Income Tax grant from the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County. Reid Health also is pitching in $1 million.

The remaining money will come from the Richmond Redevelopment Commission through funds generated by the city's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district.